Shortly after the oil concession in northern Saghalien had been given to the Sinclair Oil Corporation, readers may remember that our Peking correspondent analysed the action of the Soviet in making this grant_as a method whereby to discredit Japan in American eyes, this because Japan remains in possession of the part of the island concerned and seems to have no intention to quit until a settlement of the Nikolaievsk affair is reached. It may have been. an astute enough move on the part of the Soviet, at any rate it had the possibilities of trouble making, but ip the light of further information the probabilities thereof appear to be sensibly reduced. According to a message received in Japan, the "Daily Mail" has gone into the question, and points out how little of value the concession is. There-is, without question, an oilfields, but the oil is of very poor quality and found only at such a depth as. to render working almost impcssible. If these statements are
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